Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has drawn praise from fans and critics alike, but perhaps the most important opinion people want to hear is from Indy himself — Harrison Ford. The MachineGames game, released in December 2024, received high praise with acclaimed veteran game actor Troy Baker taking on the role of Indiana Jones for the first time. In an interview with WSJ (via GamesRadar), Harrison Ford praised Baker’s performance while also sharing his views on AI and its potential rise in media. Ford told the publication, “You don’t need artificial intelligence to steal my soul. You can already do it for nickels and dimes with good ideas and talent. [Baker] did a brilliant job, and it didn’t take AI to do it.”
This isn’t the first time Ford shared his praise for Baker; he had previously stated at The Game Awards that Baker did “a great job” as Indy. As the capabilities of AI continue to grow and change, their role in media seems primed to increase as well. AI is already being used in movies to recreate actors’ voices from when they were younger, along with their likenesses. While some see this as a way to bring back roles from the past, plenty of actors like Ford view AI negatively.
The success of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle only bolsters Ford’s argument, as the attention to detail from MachineGames paid off in making an authentic Indiana Jones adventure. The game was also a critical success for MachineGames and publisher Bethesda, with talks of a sequel and a possible new Indiana Jones video game franchise spinning off from the Great Circle only growing. The game will have the opportunity to reach an even wider audience as it’s set to release on PlayStation 5 sometime soon.
Baker is well-known in the video game industry for his iconic performances, like Joel Miller in The Last of Us, but according to the actor, this was one of his hardest roles. Speaking with NPR last year, Baker revealed he initially turned down the role because he felt he shouldn’t be stepping into Ford’s shoes. However, over time, his respect for Indiana Jones couldn’t be denied, and he took on the fedora himself. It’s for the best that he did, as fans loved his performance, with some saying the game is everything a fan of Indiana Jones could want.
Baker’s performance was the lynchpin for the Great Circle, as the game relies heavily on long cinematic cut scenes and recreating iconic moments from the franchise. During gameplay, Indy delivers his signature one-liners after taking down an enemy or solving a puzzle, and Baker nailing those small moments is just as important as pulling off a long scene. Everything came together beautifully for the Great Circle, as its Metacritic score broke an Xbox record, becoming the highest-rated game on Xbox.
Hopefully, this means the future is bright for Indiana Jones in the world of video games. Sources: WSJ, GamesRadar, NPR
